Serious Knee Swelling Pain

Here are four causes of knee swelling that are potential medical emergencies requiring a proper diagnosis and urgent treatment - get to the hospital right away!

• A swollen knee that is red and hot - with or without a fever and pain behind knee
• Your knee swells up like a balloon from a knee injury
• Both your knee and ankle are swollen
• A large swollen knee with no history of knee injury or trauma

Reasons for Serious Swelling

Common serious causes of swollen knee pain include -

• infection, including from STDs
• gout or pseudo-gout
• fracture of the thigh bone (femur), leg bones (tibia and fibula) and knee cap (patella)
• dislocated kneecap (patella)
• a tear in the joint covering (synovial membrane)
• tumor or cancer
• blood clot (Deep Vein Thrombosis) usually swelling behind knee
• cruciate ligament tears - either anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear
• Osteochondritis Dessicans
• patellar tendon tear (Osgood-Schlatter disease in teenagers and kids) with possible tendon rupture
• quadriceps tendon tear or rupture
• inflammatory arthritis like Rheumatoid arthritis
• quadriceps or hamstring muscles tear

A large swollen knee is usually a serious symptom and you should seek immediate medical help for proper diagnosis and urgent treatment.

What Causes Knee Swelling?

Knee swelling in the joint can be the result of either extra joint fluid or blood - or both! Blood in the joint is a serious problem that usually comes from a damaged blood-vessel-rich structure - a torn joint covering (the synovial membrane); a fractured bone; or, a torn anterior or posterior cruciate ligament.

Extra joint fluid is usually the result of inflammation.

Knee injury swelling outside the joint is less common and is usually from bursitis; or, blocked venous or lymph return.

Acute Knee Swelling - Mild

Acute mild swelling is usually the result of extra joint fluid, typically caused by inflammation (not blood) from a torn medical meniscus cartilage, bursitis with posterior knee pain and, less commonly, a lateral meniscus cartilage.

Most of the time, acute mild knee swelling does NOT REQUIRE KNEE SURGERY but, instead, can be managed more conservatively with a swollen knee treatment like anti-inflammatories (preferably natural ones), ice treatments and physical therapy.

Chronic Knee Swelling - Mild

Chronic mild swelling is usually the result of old knee injuries or long-time knee problems such as:

• Osteoarthritis (common knee arthritis) from degenerative joint disease
• Pre-arthritis also called Patellar Femoral Syndrome (PFS) and
• Chondromalacia
• damaged cartilage like medial or lateral meniscus tears
• old medial, or lateral, collateral ligament tears
• old cruciate ligament injury with tear (either ACL or PCL )
• patellar tendon tendonitis (Osgood-Schlatter disease in teenagers and kids)
• quadriceps tendonitis

Swollen Knee Treatment ( Also called water on the knee treatment)

Once the very serious causes of knee swelling have been ruled out (see above), here are some treatment options-

1. Ice treatments with compression (like a tensor bandage) for 15 minutes, 4 to 6 times a day
2. Rest - if possible. Try a small pillow under your swollen knee to see if that eases your pain
3. Elevation - make sure your foot is above the level of your heart when you are lying down (because this increases the venous blood flow back to the heart).
4. Drainage - sometimes a large swelling needs to be drained with a needle and syringe because, on its own, the knee joint will rid itself of the extra fluid (especially blood) quite slowly.
5. Natural Anti-Inflammatories

Words of Caution

If at all possible, avoid a cortisone shot - cortisone softens and weakens your cartilage, thereby accelerating arthritis.

A swollen knee needs a proper, quick accurate diagnosis.

Doctors today depend too heavily on MRIs for basic diagnosis. The problem there is that clinical studies show (and real-world experience confirms) that MRI scans are, at best, only 90% accurate.

The best way to diagnosis a swollen knee is by a proper history, physical and joint exam which may then be confirmed with the appropriate technical investigations. Always get your swollen knee examined by a qualified medical professional like a sports medicine doctor.

Swollen knee pain is please get checked out and get proper treatment it just might save your knee and possibly your life.